Calderone's Return (Part I)
"Calderone's Return (Part I)", also known as "The Hit List", is the fourth episode of Miami Vice's first season. The episode premiered on October 19, 1984, repeated as a two-hour movie (with "Calderone's Demise") on May 24, 1985, and features the return of the Calderones and the death of Lou Rodriguez (Gregory Sierra). Summary Calderone is back, and he has a hit list with Crockett's name on it. Plot Crockett and Tubbs, on surveillance detail for a drug dealer named Castranova, are relieved early in the morning by Switek and Zito, as Crockett has to appear in court with his soon to be ex-wife Caroline (Belinda Montgomery). The Crocketts (after their lawyers go at it) decide to give it one more try. Castranova leaves his home to visit the tailor, and sends for his limo. A man posing as their chauffeur pulls up in the limo, then shoots everyone in it dead. The real chauffeur stops the shooter by pulling a gun, but the fake one shoots him down when he is briefly distracted. The shooter, in reality an Argentinean assassin, Ludovici Armstrong (Jim Zubiena) calmly drops the gun and gloves used in the killings, and walks away to a waiting car before Switek and Zito can get there. The police give chase but lose the car; it is traced to a hotel, but before it can be surrounded a police siren gives them away and the shooter escapes. He leaves behind $20,000, some guns, and a book with a list of names on it. Crockett and Caroline spend an afternoon of marital delight, but are interrupted by Tubbs and Rodriguez, who let Crockett know about the shooting and that every name but 2 on the list of names found have been killed, and Crockett's name is number 8. At OCB, Gina pulls DEA files on the hit list names, and finds all were mid-level dealers trying to expand. The prints on the getaway car match those for a man (Armstrong) with an INTERPOL file containing a long list of professional assassinations, but no name. Paperwork found in the hotel room was linked to a Carlos Mendez. Rodriguez wants Crockett to stay at the Safe House until they locate the killer, and decides to escort Crockett there personally. They stop by the St. Vitus Dance to pick up clothes, not knowing Armstrong has a bead on the boat from a tower, passing the time with a doughnut and coffee. Trudy pulls surveillance photos of Mendez and finds he's linked to Calderone, the dealer that got away, who is back to take revenge on Crockett. The getaway car also contains an address book, with Crockett's boat address in it. The assassin fires on the boat, and Rodriguez is gravely wounded shoving Crockett out of harm's way. While Rodriguez is undergoing surgery, the Vice cops learn that all six dead dealers had ties with Calderone, but were branching out on their own (like Corky Fowler did previously--and suffered the same fate), so they search for Linus Oliver (Ron Taylor), number 7 on the hit list. Crockett and Tubbs corner Linus, find a briefcase full of drugs in his car's trunk, and set up a meet with Mendez at Linus' bar. Crockett is so wired up about being on the hit list that he pulls a gun on a civilian who stopped him because he dropped his cigarettes. Crockett meets Caroline and Billy at the Safe House and reassures them that everything will be OK. The Vice cops set Linus up at the bar and wait to meet Mendez. During this time two men want Trudy to dance, and refuse to take "no" for an answer. Zito steps in and the confrontation escalates into an all-out brawl on the dance floor. During the fight Linus spots Mendez in the crowd and the cops take him in, but the real assassin - Armstrong - is also in the crowd, watching. Crockett, thinking he's safe, takes his family home. Tubbs intensely questions Mendez, until Linus was found shot dead in front of his apartment, meaning the shooter is still out there. Mendez refuses to give up any information. Tubbs speeds to Crockett's house to warn him. Crockett sees the shooter's trademark doughnut and coffee spilled in the room, and pulls his family out of the way just as Armstrong comes out shooting. Tubbs storms in to help Crockett, and Armstrong (firing all the way) leaps out of a window, only to be stopped a phalanx of police; he goes down firing. Caroline tells Crockett things cannot work out with his way of life, and Crockett agrees to reschedule the divorce hearing. Tubbs gets word that Rodriguez died from his injuries, that Mendez finally broke down and revealed that Calderone is in the Bahamas. Crockett and Tubbs prepare to go after the dealer. Cast *Don Johnson as Metro-Dade Detective James "Sonny" Crockett *Philip Michael Thomas as Metro-Dade Detective Ricardo "Rico" Tubbs *Saundra Santiago as Metro-Dade Detective Gina Calabrese *Michael Talbott as Metro-Dade Detective Stan Switek *John Diehl as Metro-Dade Detective Larry Zito *Olivia Brown as Metro-Dade Detective Trudy Joplin *Gregory Sierra as Metro-Dade Lieutenant Lou Rodriguez Guest Stars *Jim Zubiena as Ludovici Armstrong *Ron Taylor as Linus Oliver *Belinda Montgomery as Caroline Crockett Co-Starring *Jim Borelli as Felix Castranova *Tara King as Susan Castranova *Tito Goya as Carlos Mendez *Raymond Forchion as Don *Will Knickerbocker as Fields *Ken Little as Monahan *Ryan St. Leon as Billy Crockett Notes * This marks the final appearance of Gregory Sierra as Lt. Lou Rodriguez. Sierra had requested to be written out of the show because he didn't like living in Miami. * The episode was pre-empted one week due to NBC airing Game 3 of the 1984 World Series between the Detroit Tigers and San Diego Padres. * Belinda Montgomery would return as Caroline Crockett in Season 4's "Child's Play" and again in Season 5's "To Have And To Hold". * Jan Hammer's "Crockett's Theme" is first heard in this episode, during his time on the beach with Caroline and Billy. This music will be one of the hallmarks of the series. * Jim Zubiena, who played hitman Ludivicio Armstrong, was a shooting expert in his own right. He uses several expert shooting techniques in this episode, including the "Mozambique Drill" (shooting a victim twice in the chest and once in the head in order to absolutely guarantee a kill). This technique would later feature in Michael Mann's films Thief, Heat and Collateral. * Jim Zubiena also appeared in Michael Mann's Manhunter alongside fellow Miami Vice guest stars Dennis Farina (from "One Eyed Jack", "Lombard" and "World Of Trouble"), Kim Griest (from "Nobody Lives Forever"), Michele Shay (from "Theresa" and "Badge Of Dishonor") and Bill Smitrovich (from "Brother's Keeper" and "The Prodigal Son"), as well as Miami Vice regular Michael Talbott. * During the scene in Crockett's home, the blank adaptor fitted on the AC556 assault rifle used by Zubiena came loose and was propelled form the barrel at considerable speed directly towards the camera crew shooting the action; fortunately they were protected by a thick perspex screen. Zubiena, however, was not so lucky, as the adapter ricocheted off of the screen and struck him in the shoulder with enough force to spin him around and knock him to the floor. Fortunately, he suffered no long-term injuries. * Many characters in this episode wear "Members Only" jackets, such as Carlos Mendez, Ludivicio Armstrong, and a few members in the club. * The hotel identified as the "Desiree Hotel" where Armstrong and Mendez were located after the Castronova hit is actually the Nassau Hotel, which was renovated and upgraded and is now called the "Nassau Suite Hotel". * Tubbs drives Crockett's Daytona in this episode, the only time he would do so. * The version of the "Miami Vice Theme" used in the opening credits was incorrectly mixed and is missing the distinctive synthesised guitar hook. This is the final episode where this occurs. Curiously, this was not corrected on recent DVD releases of the show, despite being acknowledged as an error by producers. Production Notes * Filmed: August 7, 1984 - August 15, 1984 * Production Number: 59504 * Production Order: 4 Filming Locations *Dade County Courthouse, 73 West Flagler Str, Miami, Downtown (Crockett, Caroline and their lawyers meet) *Atlantis Building, 2025 Brickell Avenue, Miami (Castranova killing) *Brickell Avenue (Hitman car chase) *Nassau Suites Hotel, 1414 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach (Armstrong's hotel) *Miami Beach Marina, 300 Alton Road, Miami Beach (Marina where St. Vitus Dance is located) *Freedom Tower, 600 Biscayne Boulevard (Tower where Armstrong shot at Crockett, hit Rodriguez instead) *Biscayne Boulevard, Miami and Lincoln Road Mall, Miami Beach (chasing Linus Oliver) *Cape Florida Lighthouse / Bill Baggs State Park on Key Biscayne (Safe House for Crockett's family) *Disco 'Heaven' in Fort Lauderdale (Linus Oliver's Bar/Mendez arrested) *Brickell Ave, Julia Tuttle Cswy, Rickenbacker Cswy (Tubbs racing to save Crockett--footage re-used in other episodes) *100 Harbor Drive, Key Biscayne (Exterior of Crockett's house). Music *"I'm So Excited" by The Pointer Sisters (at bar) *"Tush" by ZZ Top (during bar fight) *"In The Night" by Russ Ballard (Tubbs rushing to Crockett's house) Quotes *"I figure you'll be out sometime in the 21st Century!" -- Crockett to Linus Oliver *"Move, even breathe, you're dead!" -- Tubbs to Mendez *"(The Bahamas) are only sixty miles away, when can you be ready?" "I'm always ''ready!" -- ''Crockett and Tubbs after Rodriguez' death Category:Miami Vice Season 1 Episodes